ATF: Dear Hannah
by Melody Byard
Summary: Josiah takes out the time to write a letter to his sister


Disclaimer: She climbs up onto Santa's lap and gets comfortable. "Hello Santa," she says and listens to his reply. "Yes, Santa, I have been a very good girl this year." She hopes Santa doesn't know about the fact that she has been skipping her diet and eating her chocolate anyway. "What would I like for Christmas, you ask? I would like to have seven men tied up in a nice big red bow under my tree," she says with a big smile that slowly turns to a frown. "What do you mean that I can't have them? They are owned by someone else? But Santa, they don't take care of them like I would, and they don't love them like I do." She watches sadly as Santa shakes his head no. She lets out a depressed sigh. "Well, if I can't have them, then I would like a giant Hershey Kiss for Christmas. After all, diets are something a person should not be on during the holidays." :)  
  
I also don't own Hallmark or the song "Silent Night. " Oh yeah, one more thing- a Major BIG THANKS and HUGE JOSIAH BEAR HUGS to MOG!!!!, the Great Creator of the ATF universe for letting me play in her sandbox. HAPPY HOLIDAYS MOG and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of the Mag 7 fans, readers, Beta's and fan fiction writers.  
  
Note to my beta readers and readers : A little history lesson first for everyone.  
I did do a little resurch on this story mostly because I couldn't remember if the Phoenix was Roman or Greek Mythology and what I found out surprised me. The story of the Phoenix was started by the Chinese, then fallowed close by the , Greco-Romans. Just a little history lesson for anyone who was wondering where it came from.  
  
This story all started because I asked Mog a question that had been bothering me for a while and it was... How does Josiah's sister fit into the ATF universe? I asked Mog this question and she told me she would also like to know and that I could go ahead and write a piece if I wanted to. Isn't that nice of her? : ) Here is my very short story about a Christmas letter to Hannah from Josiah. Special thanks goes out to Debby, Robyn, Peggy, Wynde and to Sue N for taking out the time to beta this story despite the holiday rush, power outages and attachment problems. To Kerry who didn't have the time to beta this little story.. Thanks for giving me the support when needed and for helping me find the form I need to write in. If I could I would give you Buck for Christmas, but I can't so would you settle for some nice hot chocolate instead?   
  
Feedback: Is greatly welcome; however, flames are not. This is my first real ATF story, so please be gentle with me.  
  
  
Dear Hannah  
  
By Melody Byard  
  
Josiah Sanchez looked up from the empty notebook and smiled as he watched Buck throw another paper ball at JD, who was still trying to finish writing up his report. As he turned back to start his letter he saw that Vin, Ezra, and Nathan were munching on the homemade chocolate chip cookies given to the team by their secretary, Mrs. Taylor. They were playing poker and it looked like they were playing for the cookies instead of money. They all knew Mrs. Taylor made the best chocolate chip cookies in the building. They were all waiting for Chris to get done with his last minute meeting with Travis before they all left the office for the church to get ready for the Christmas play they were putting on. Josiah looked back down to the empty writing paper and began his letter to his sister.  
  
Dear Hannah,   
  
I hope you like the Hallmark Christmas card I am sending you along with this letter. The angel on the cover of the card reminded me so much of you when you were a little girl and that time when you played the angel in the church Christmas pageant, and I, your ever-clumsy big brother, played the clumsy wise man. *smile* Do you remember that play? All I remember about it was that I kept getting my big feet caught in the bathrobe and bumping into the other wise men and dropping those fake rocks that were supposed to be gold all over the church floor. I also remember how you looked that night. Oh, Hannah, you were the best and most beautiful little angel there. Father was so proud of us that night, and I was hoping his feelings would last just a little while longer...  
  
Anyway, since the last time I have written you, which was... what, two weeks ago? I have persuaded our brothers in helping me with the church Christmas play this year. *smile* Well, it was touch and go there for a bit but the old Josiah charm still works, *smile* and the fact that the church was located in Purgatorio and all the proceeds will go to helping families who are in desperate need helps out a bit too. *Ha, Ha* I have also finally developed those fishing trip pictures of our six new brothers and me. *smile* Well, you know me, I get so busy that I put things like this off for a bit. Yes, I do remember that you asked me for a picture of our six brothers three months ago! Well, I finally got around to it. I've enclosed the group photo of us taken together at Chris's ranch and I will tell you about each of our brothers in the picture and also the parts they will be performing in the church play.  
  
Starting left to right: The blond man dressed all in black is the leader of our ATF team. I've told you about him before, and his great loss of his wife and son. Chris's life reminds me of the Ancient Chinese Legend of the Phoenix, the mystical bird that arises from the ashes. Hannah, the Phoenix has risen, and its name is Chris Larabee. It did take a lot to talk Chris into playing Joseph; however, I told him that he could wear one of his black bathrobes, and I also included the fact that Mary Travis will be playing Mary, which helped in persuading our brother. Once he agreed, the others soon signed up.  
  
The man next to him with his arm around Chris's shoulders and holding up the big catch of the day is Vin Tanner; he is the sharpshooter of our group. He wasn't too hard to persuade because he works a lot with the gangs in Purgatorio. However, because he is such a shy man it was hard to find him a part in the play. Knowing every Christmas pageant needs music and the church organ was giving its last and final breath, I asked him if he could play the harmonica for the play, but behind the curtain. That way he won't feel so much attention on him. Oh, Hannah, you should hear the way he plays "Silent Night." It just sends chills up and down my spine and brings a tear to my eye.  
  
The tall man with the mustache is Buck Wilmington. The man just loves living and when you are around him you can't help but laugh at his antics. He was not at all hard to convince to be one of the shepherds in the play. Although I do have a small problem trying to keep his attention from Inez who is one of our angels.  
  
The young man next to him who is laughing at Buck's little catch of the day is JD Dunne. All of us treat him like the younger brother we never had. You would love him, Hannah. When you are around him you can't help but smile. He will be a shepherd in our play, and I am having the same problem with him that I am having with Buck. JD's girlfriend Casey is one of the angels also and JD just can't keep his eyes off of her.  
  
Next to JD is, of course, yours truly. Well, I haven't changed that much since we were children. *smile* As you can see I didn't catch a thing that day unless you count the friendship of our brothers. I will once more play one of the wise men in our little play, and this time I will make sure I do not trip over my robe. *Ha, Ha*  
  
The man in the fancy shirt and jeans is Ezra Standish; I told you about him in my previous letters. Oh, he has changed so much since he first joined our little group; it's amazing. He is playing the lead angel in our little play and the only problem I am having with him is that his halo keeps tilting to the right. No matter what I do to it, the silly thing will tilt to the right.  
  
Next to Ezra is Nathan. You've met him before. In your last letter you sounded a little worried about the fact that Ezra and Nathan didn't seem to get along with each other. Well, Hannah, I have a secret to tell you, but you must promise not to tell Nathan the next time he's with me for a visit. Now here is the secret: they are good friends, but they don't want to admit it to anyone, not even to us. The reason why I know this is because Nathan only worries about someone he cares about and he cares about Ezra -- he just doesn't want to admit it. Nathan will be another wise man and with any luck he will stop me from tripping over my robe. *ha, ha*  
  
Well, dear sister, I will close for now. Chris has just come back into the office and is telling us it's time to get over to the church and get things ready for the congregation. I've enclosed a check for you to give to the people who take care of you. Please make sure they get it. Remember Hannah, I love you very much and I wish you were here to see the play. I will come by to see you on Christmas Day with a gift for you. Maybe I will bring along the rest of your new brothers to cheer you up. I know you would love to meet them all. I'm sure you are tired of only hearing me talk about them all the time. As always,   
  
Forever your loving brother,  
Jo Jo  
  
  
  



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